5 Things You Need to Do to Keep Your Family Healthy

Being healthy in this day and age can be downright difficult, and it may even feel impossible for some people. If you’re used to eating out a lot, buying unhealthy and processed foods, and not getting enough exercise, then making an entire lifestyle change can be daunting. But if you do it as a family, then it is easier to stick to the plan because more people are involved and there’s less chance of getting off track.

To help you get started, here’s a look at five things you can do to keep your family healthy.

Why Being Healthy is Important

When you’re younger or not dealing with a lot of health problems, it can seem like a waste of time to try to diet and exercise. You may have certain foods that you love andjust don’t want to go without—which makes the idea of living and eating healthy even more difficult.

However, an unhealthy lifestyle eventually catches up with you. Overtime, you might need medication to handle a wide range of different health ailments that have come as a result of a poor diet or lack of exercise. Some of these health problems can be annoying at best and life-threatening at worst.

The Importance of Getting Healthy as a Family

If you want to make some changes to your lifestyle, then you should consider getting the whole family involved. This not only helps you to keep on track, but it will also give you a sense of accomplishment in knowing that you’re instilling healthy habits in your children’s and partner’s lives. Plus, the more that you practice healthy habits, the easier it is going to be to stick to them in the future.

1. Supplements and Bioactive Carbon

If you choose to take supplements, then you’ll want to look for products that work and can help to detox and cleanse the body of built-up toxins. One of the best supplements that can do this is known as bioactive carbon.

This charcoal product binds to toxins and excess chemicals within the body and helps to flush them out. Charcoal and carbon are both becoming incredibly popular in supplements and health products—from toothpastes that you can use to different oral supplements that you’re able to consume.

2. Sleep

It’s recommended that adults get at least seven hours of sleep a night while children get about nine. We’re a society that is chronically tired. You might get just a few hours of sleep a night and have a hectic and busy schedule the next day.

This can cause you to feel exhausted, and it can develop into a variety of health and mental issues. As a family, set yourselves a time to get ready for bed and make it a habit that everyone goes to sleep at the same time. Adults can wake up slightly earlier in the morning than the kids, and then everyone will be well-rested.

3. Exercise

Exercising and working out as a family can be a lot more fun than you might think. Whether you take the family to the local park and play in the playground or you join a dance class, there are dozens of ways for you to workout together as a family—and have lots of fun in the process.

Even if you don’t want to spend any money and stay indoors, you can stream a range of workout videos from home and do it all in the living room. Exercise isn’t just great for burning off energy and losing weight, but it’s also a lot of fun. This is especially true if the whole family’s involved—exercising alone can get pretty boring.

4. Meditation and De-Stressing

As an adult, you might think that you and your spouse are more stressed than your children, but this simply isn’t true. From school, to projects, deadlines, and friends, your kids can become incredibly stressed out and not know where to turn when they have problems. This is why it is crucialto work on de-stressing as a family.

This can come in the form of meditation, where you all take a few minutes a day to just quiet the mind and body. It can also come in the form of keeping a journal, blogging, or having a diary. You also need to make it a habit to talk as a family so that everyone’s problems are heard and resolved as best as possible. Having a listening ear is one of the best ways to de-stress, plus it allows your kids to know that you’re there for them when they’re having problems or need someone to talk to.

5. Social Interaction

It’s simply not healthy to stay cooped up in the house for hours or days at a time. Unfortunately, because of technology and the ability to spend time with friends at home on a device, it’s difficult to get the kids out and interacting in a more social environment. The best way to incorporate real life interaction into family life is to do it slowly.

Start by going to one family function a month, and then make it a weekly habit. Get the whole family outside whenever possible so that you’re out of the house and away from the tech gadgets that once consumed your daily lives.

The Bottom Line

Getting the whole family on board can sometimes be difficult—especially if you have kids who enjoy eating junk food, spending time indoors, and playing on their their gadgets and mobile devices. The best way to handle this type of situation is by making small changes every single month, and then gradually working your way to living healthy lifestyles each and every single day.

The sooneryou get your kids involved with these changes, the better off they’re going to be because it will become habitual for them to continue living healthy lifestyles. Keep in mind that it is never too early or too late to lead healthy lives. No matter your situation, be sure to work on what you can and should do in order to implement these changes and get the entire family on board. Your family is sure to be happier and healthier in the long run!

Our Mission

Integrated Family Community Services (IFCS) provides basic human services and enrichment programs to low-income family members, using community resources. IFCS fosters self-sufficiency and respects the dignity of each client. It serves the people of Centennial, Englewood, Glendale, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Lone Tree, Sheridan, and unincorporated Arapahoe County.

2017-2018 IFCS By The Numbers

117,873 - Number of Meals Given Out16,337 - Family Members received services1,908 Volunteers who donated 7,379 Hours

How to Help?

Our largest need at IFCS is financial support, food and clothing. Volunteer opportunities at IFCS are numerous and include a range of different ways to help.

Please be advised this week April 22-26 IFCS is unable to accept clothing donations as we are preparing for our Mother’s Day program. Clothing donations will be accepted again Monday, April 29 at 8:00am. As always, thank you for your support! #donations #supportIFCS

Looking for a job? We are joining forces with Arapahoe Libraries to offer career services workshops. Our first event is May 7th 4pm-6pm at IFCS' Englewood location. Join us and make your cover letter and resume stand out from the rest!